5 Business System Tips to Streamline Your Efforts

When we talk about systems building, we have to think about streamlining, habits, and time management. Systems are all around us, whether in how we pay back debt or how we manage our stress. We have systems that help us run our lives.

Your business needs those systems too in order to run more efficiently. And this is what I love talking about because having systems also means that you get to have more freedom, growth, flexibility, and balance in your life. Systems allow you to take less time completing administrative tasks and improve your workflow. Plus, you can always add automations to your systems so that you barely have to do anything for those tasks at all.

Systems allow you to move into a managerial role instead of the workhorse that does “all the things.”

So for this article, I want you to open your eyes to systems and realize that they are not as scary as they may seem. I will discuss my top 5 tips for creating your own systems. Plus, stay til the end and I’ll share some bonus support to get you started.

Top 5 Tips for System Building

1. Make something unique to you and your business

People can use terms like "systems" and "workflow" all the time and not be clear about what it actually means. Most of the time, it ends up sounding like there is one system that everyone has to find or set up to be successful. You'll see people touting their 1 automated system that grows your biz instantaneously! 

Systems are simply the pathways you take to complete an overarching task (how you move from one item to the next most efficiently and effectively).

Now, I'm here to tell you the good news and the bad news:

The bad news is - you and your business are unique…

The good news is - you and your business are unique!!!

It'll be difficult to find an automated system that works for exactly how you work, your niche, your team, and your business needs all in one standardized package. It's nice to think that it's all done for you…but there is a lot more DIY below those automations. 

Think of these offers more as the initial guide that will show you options for tools and habits and pathways to success. Just make sure you adjust that workflow to your needs too.

Instead of trying to fit yourself into these 📦,  embrace your uniqueness!! You are amazing exactly as you are and you should have systems that match.

Think about: 

• How often you would like to work?
• What are your intrinsic goals?
• What does your ideal workweek look like?
• What items need your attention vs being able to delegate or use a platform to automate?

2. Focus on routine tasks you can simplify

The easiest way to understand what systems you need in your business is by focusing on those routine tasks or administrative tasks that take more time than you'd really like them to.

Think about how often you complete different tasks in your business (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly). The ones that seem to take over your entire day and you don't love how long it takes, but they have to get done to keep your business going.

Thank about the tasks that lead into each other. What process do you follow when you complete a task? Where does that item go? Who gets it next? What does it become.

Check out the list of Systems types below to get you started. You can download it, and my Free Template Starter Kit, here.

3. Understand Creation Versus Maintenance

Building your systems out and then going back to maintain them are two different things.

The creation process is a lot of organizing, data input, and set up.

The maintenance process is more of a check-up, where you reflect on how things have been going, what you will need next, and file away any lost files in their appropriate spaces.

You want to take the time to build out your systems in the beginning so that you save time later when it's really important to get things done efficiently.

Moving from creation to maintenance in the goal, as maintenance may only take 1-day per month and you can keep everything moving smoothly.

Depending on the amount of DIY items you plan to take on, support to understand what you need from systems, and research you have on the processes themselves, you might take a week to set up a system or you might take 2 months. 😳

4. Lead one system into the next, know how they work together

Once you have your first system, rinse and repeat the process to create the next.

Systems work best when they work together. 

Usually this includes some kind of automation, delegation, or organizer like Airtable.

You'll also want to start with some sort of organization of your storing/files so that you can grab things easily as you create your other systems.

Curious as to how you are going to organize your Google Drive or Canva, when it currently looks like a bomb went off inside your desktop, jump into my Organize the Chaos Workshop. 

And don't worry, it's not a pitch hidden inside a workshop….it's just a value packed workshop showing you how to organize all the things. 

5. Don’t take it on alone

The DIY route is great for some things. I love taking on a new recipe even when I don't have a chef behind me.

But I won't be building a car or a house anytime soon, and especially not without some support.

So remember that even when your entrepreneurial journey feels isolated, you can build a community to support you.

Find people who really lean into their zone of genius and allow them to help you through. That way you can lean into your strengths and help others with that. 

My zone is organization and spreadsheets. For an English teacher, I love it way too much for my typical stereotype. But, how all the puzzle pieces work together makes my head tingle…in a good way.

But I also know there are plenty of areas in my business where I could learn everything there is about a concept and pull myself away from what I thoroughly enjoy, or I can let someone else show me exactly how to do it (or do it for me). 

I understand where I'm at and that's okay! 

Saves me time, energy, and a massive headache.

Lean into your amazing traits and gather support from this ever-expanding corner of the universe.

Join me inside the Organize the Chaos Workshop for 30 quick minutes of full value and instant organization. Work side-by-side with me to organize all the business essentials 

Wrap up

Systems can be confusing. But by using these 5 tips to get started, and some support along the way, you'll be headed toward efficiency in no time.

Head back to the resources above to get a jump on your business systems and I'll see you next time with some more tips for setting them up!